Vagrant Ninja: No Longer Roaming
by M.M.Richter-XIII
Summary: First Naruto fic. Pseudo-spinoff of 'Sound of the Soul' by silverwolf-fox with the author's permission using characters I outsourced to her. OCxOC. Two part fic. Please R&R. Rated T for violence.
1. Part 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto universe or its laws and rules._

_**A/N:**_ **Hello to everyone in the Naruto section. I'm a big fan of the show, first-time writer. Well, like the summary said, this is a spin-off of **_**'Sound of the Soul' **_**by ****Silverwolf-fox.**** Although I will give a short summary of what's happening, I do recommend that you look up the original story; it's very good. I'm using original characters that I outsourced to Silverwolf-fox during the story's posting. Anyway, I hope you like it, but, in truth, I just hope you **_**read **_**it. Also, please forgive the lack of action in part 1; I promise part 2 is all action. And here … we … go. **

Vagrant Ninja: No Longer roaming pt.1

_Summary: Zenji Kozajima and Tsubame Kurakagi are two roaming shinobi on a bounty to recover a 'sapphire girl' who's being held captive by the Akatsuki, while their leader, Rakugo Soujen, is in Konohagakure with the girl's sister. When they arrive at the Akatsuki hideout, the two end up fighting the girl and her assigned 'guardian', Deidara. After some furious fighting, Deidara gets the best of Zenji, which leads into this story. _

He was bruised, battered, and burned, practically near-death yet still conscious. He heard his partner yell out as she ran towards him.

"Zenji," his teammate and wife, Tsubame, called out in worry and apprehension.

He saw her come close, kneel next to him, and check him. He heard a sigh of relief escape her body, her finding out that he was still alive. He could barely move from fatigue and pain, but moved just enough to see Tsubame's face rapidly go from relieved to enraged in a matter of seconds. He knew what look meant; she was intending to kill, no matter what it took out of her.

"_Tsubame … no,"_

He tried to speak as he watched her rise to her feet and turn intensely toward Deidara, but the thought only came out as a barely audible groan. He could only watch helplessly as Tsubame shot towards the Akatsuki member with the rage of a demon and power of 1000 of them. She didn't seem to notice, but Zenji saw it clearly; 'the sapphire girl' arrived and stood between Tsubame and Deidara as the former was flying through the air toward her intended victim. Then, it was Zenji's turn to worry.

He could barely breathe as he watched 'the sapphire girl' freeze Tsubame in mid-air with what looked like orange musical notes, and begin to 'grab' them. Fortunately for Tsubame, the sapphire girl collapsed before she could kill Tsubame, but she wasn't safe yet. He continued to apprehensively look on as Tsubame's unconscious body fell hard to the ground. He knew he had to act fast, and he had one last resort he could use.

In a horrible situation, he was forced to use his special technique, the 'Stockpile Chakra Release'. Using a special technique known only to him and his comrades, Zenji would 'stockpile' his chakra by storing amounts of it around his eight gates for use in emergencies. Bursting through his first gate, the Gate of Opening, he released his first chakra stockpile, sending a rush of energy through his body, allowing him to move again. However, he miscalculated the damage done by Deidara, and so he didn't have as much energy as he wished. Still, he slowly and quietly approached his fallen partner, laying her across his back, while Deidara and the sapphire girl were distracted with each other. Taking the opportunity, Zenji gathered up half of his regained chakra, and body-flickered them away, the sapphire girl's singing still ringing in his ears.

After travelling a sizeable distance away, Zenji and the still unconscious Tsubame came to a cave in the midst of a fast-approaching storm, and quickly entered to escape the rain and to rest. Alone, Zenji removed his thoroughly charred and cracked mask, and tossed it aside before gently resting Tsubame on the ground. That's when he noticed. That last attack she took had affected her more severely than he thought; her breathing was irregular, stunted, and inconsistent, and she seemed to be showing early signs of arrest. Quickly, he placed his hands over her, and, using the last of his restored chakra, performed the 'Mystical Palm Technique', his hands becoming engulfed in green flame as he repaired the damage done to her lungs and heart. After a tense couple of moments, the flames in Zenji's hands extinguished as he could no longer sustain it, and he silently and anxiously watched to see if it had any effect. Finally, Tsubame's breathing had returned to normal, and, though she was still battered, she would be fine.

Once again exhausted, all Zenji could do was collapse on to the ground next to his partner, his loved one, and just look at her; even after such a grueling battle, she still looked amazing, Zenji recognized.

Thinking to himself, Zenji's mind produced as he slowly succumbed to fatigue, "_Sorry, Death, but you're not needed this time. Well, it looks like this is our second DNC, Tsubame. Oh well; at least you're okay."_

--

Rakugo had had an excellent swing of fortune since being in The Hidden Leaf Village. Not only had he ended up with the girl he had been admiring for so long, but thanks to her he'd actually found a home; she recommended him to the Hokage, and, because of the village's strained ninja force and the money Rakugo was donating to them, he was welcomed into the ninja ranks with full recognition of his ninja training and skill. Immediately he knew he had to include his teammates into this, and quickly asked permission seek them out and extend the inivitation to them as well. Though reluctant at first, the Fifth Hokage granted permission and he hurriedly set out to find his comrades.

Because of his elevated genjutsu skills, Rakugo could easily form a 'link' to his team, by focusing on something in their possession that they are easily identified by. So, by focusing on Zenji's mask and Tsubame's fighting gloves, Rakugo rushed to them non-stop, reaching them in just a day's time. Coming to a cave amidst a particular vicious rainstorm, Rakugo slowly entered when his link to Zenji grew immensely strong. Stopping, he looked around and saw the burnt and fractured mask lying on the ground; Rakugo at that moment knew that a fight occurred and that his two companions hadn't fared well. Venturing deeper within, he found them asleep, Tsubame resting her head on Zenji's chest and Zenji wrapping his arm around Tsubame's shoulders. In fact, they looked quite peacefully despite the extensive damage evident on their bodies. Rakugo couldn't wake them up.

Finally, his own fatigue set in; he'd been travelling all day without a break. Not to mention that sustaining a mind link required a large amount of energy especially two at the same time. With that in mind, Rakugo decided to rest here along with his friends on that night; he would tell them the good news the next day, so, he built a small fire for warmth, and fell asleep as the serene sound of rainfall lulled him into slumber.

--

The next morning, Zenji and Tsubame were glad to see their friend and teammate back, but nowhere near as glad as they were after he told them the news.

"Are you serious," Zenji couldn't help but ask, "The Fifth Hokage … wants us?"

A smile on his face, Rakugo confidently confirmed, "Yep; it's all true."

Tsubame, barely able to contain her joy, burst out, saying, "Really, Rakugo? That's excellent! That means … we'll finally have a home. And in the Hidden Leaf Village too. Oh, just think of it: the festivals, the weather, all the trees, and all the people."

Feeding off Tsubame's excitement, Rakugo added, "Plus, Lady Tsunade has offered us positions in the ninja corps with full recognition of our training, so money won't be an issue anymore." Although he was sure he already knew the answer, Rakugo asked, "So, what do you guys think?"

As expected, Tsubame's answer shot out of her mouth like a rocket, "I'm all for it! We couldn't find a better place to live."

Suddenly, Zenji replied in a skeptic tone, "I don't know," which caused both his friends to look at him with confusion. Feeling the need, he went on to explain, saying, "It's practically unheard of for a Hidden Village to welcome roaming ninja. On top of that, as much as we hate it, we're still former associates of Orochimaru, well-known enemy of the Hidden Leaf Village. Plus, I doubt the existing ninja are gonna be too thrilled that three vagrants just came in, and bypassed all the prerequisites for ranking, even if we do qualify."

Discouraged by her loved one's valid points, Tsubame asked in a slightly downtrodden voice, "Zenji … You're not serious, are you?"

Zenji was silent for a moment, but eventually, although it was hidden beneath his new, pristine mask, his face broke into a smile and he said, "Nope; not serious at all. I love the idea."

Instantly, Tsubame's smile returned, and Rakugo said with a smile, "Well, that settles it then. Looks like we're headed for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Tsubame then quickly interjected, requesting, "Actually, we're still a little banged up from yesterday, so … before we travel, do you think … we could get some _time-off_."

Rakugo paused for a moment; now that he thought he was still little tired himself. He figured the three could use a little bit more relaxation before making the long journey back.

"Okay, but we'll have to leave first thing in the morning. I'll be here, so you two … enjoy yourselves," Rakugo finally said, giving his blessing.

Very excited, Tsubame quickly jumped to her feet, and exclaimed, "Great! I have to get ready. Oh, I can't wait."

Zenji knew what that was about; he could practically see the ideas running through her head. She was already planning the rendezvous the two of them would have that night. Already prepared for this, Zenji conceded to her.

"I guess I'll see you later then," Zenji said in anticipation.

Tsubame, as she had the tendency to do when it came for one of these 'outings', changed her tone to one decidedly more romantic and enticing as she said, "Oh yeah, you'll _definitely_ see me later. Come find me at twilight; don't be late, baby."

Then, with a smile and kiss on the cheek, Tsubame ran off into the forest. After she was out of view, Zenji let out a strange sigh, one that caught Rakugo's attention.

"What's wrong, man," he asked as he took a seat next to his masked friend.

Zenji replied, "Nothing, but you know she can get pretty carried away sometimes especially when it comes to our dates."

Rakugo, understanding both sides, reassured him, "Yeah, but that's just Tsubame. That's just how she expresses herself, how she shows affection. You know that."

Zenji, thinking about it more, then replied, "Right. Well, at least I'm with someone who loves me enough to go through all that trouble; I'm thankful for that."

Rakugo then grew a wide almost goofy grin as his mind focused on his own girlfriend back in Konohagakure, and agreed. "Yeah; you and me both."

"One thing's for sure," Zenji said as another smile formed behind his mask, "on top of everything else, she always shows me a great time."

--

Twilight was upon the forest, and Zenji was set out for his spouse. In order to look the part, he changed into better, cleaner, more formal clothes including his spare trench coat, and even straighten his hair using some of Rakugo's cream, something Zenji couldn't stand doing. But, when it came to her, he would do what he had to do to be his best. Suddenly, as he was traveling down one path, he noticed a dull, glowing arrow on a nearby tree. It was all too clear; that was a sign from Tsubame. He then removed his mask, knowing what was coming, and began walking in the arrow's pointed direction.

Following the trail of arrows, Zenji eventually found himself coming to a very large clearing, and there, standing next to a small fire with a pot cooking over it, was Tsubame, her hair styled excellently as it flowed freely from her head and adorned in an elegant, black, geisha-like robe. Zenji had to stop for a moment; it had been a while since their last tryst, and he'd forgotten how even more stunning she could look in addition to how she usually did.

"My, my, my," Zenji smoothly said, "And I thought you looked outstanding before."

Greatly enjoying Zenji's reaction and herself enjoying how Zenji looked, Tsubame, her tone still tempting, said back, "Thank you, and, may I say, you are looking quite desirable yourself."

Zenji, just as smoothly as before, replied, "Thank you, but you definitely put me to shame. I hope you don't mind me as I'm blessed by your presence."

"Trust me when I say," Tsubame said in the same voice as before, "… the pleasure is all mine."

With the 'introductions' out of the way, Zenji and Tsubame sat across from each other by the fire, and Tsubame promptly filled two bowls with some contents of the now boiling pot: a tangled mass of broth, sliced pork, and ramen noodles. She then handed one bowl and a pair of chopsticks to Zenji, gaining a bow in response as he received them, and both bowed their heads in a moment of silence before eating. By their standards, they ate their ramen rather slow, but, to someone moving at human speed, it only took a few seconds for them to finish. Nevertheless, fast or slow, both agreed on one thing: the ramen was insanely good.

"Wow; that was amazing," Zenji raved, "Where did you get that from?"

Tsubame then agreed, "That _was_ really good. Rakugo brought it from the Hidden Leaf Village; I think he said it was from Ichiraku Ramen. Apparently, they were trying out a pre-prepared, on-the-go form of its ramen."

With the both of them done, Tsubame started to put everything away, but Zenji interjected.

"Wait a moment. Allow me to get the dishes," Zenji smoothly offered.

Accepting, Tsubame simply sat back down as Zenji disposed of the cookware in matter of flashes, leaving only the now-dull fire behind. With that task now finished, Tsubame moved next to Zenji as he took his seat once again, placing herself close to him, and Zenji, out of instinct and reaction, affectionately wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing them even closer. Quickly, the couple began to talk, laughing, joking, and enjoying each other's company, but thusly failed to notice the increased activity in the foliage around the clearing. Still, they continued to converse when, over time, the conversation began to slowly trickle into their most recent encounter.

Breaking his normally cool demeanor, Zenji said with sincere emotion in his voice, "You know, you really scared me back on that last assignment. That girl might have killed you if she hadn't passed out."

Tsubame then confidently replied, "I know, Zenji, but _no one _messes with my bishonen and gets away with it."

Zenji, although appreciating the sentiment, grew even more sincere, and confessed from his heart, "That's nice, but … it would have hurt me a lot more … if I lost you."

Tsubame stopped for a moment with this comment. She sensed the emotion in his calm voice; she could easily detect it after her time with him. This comment and the corresponding look in his eyes made Tsubame stop and think about what she'd done. She quickly realized she would have done more harm than good had the sapphire girl not quit her attack when she did. Eventually, however, her reflective gaze turned back into a smile; she also realized that as calm and even keel as Zenji was, he would really show emotion towards her. If there were any doubts in her mind, she knew he cared about her.

"I'm sorry, Zenji,' Tsubame conceded, "I'll be more careful next time."

Reassuring her and slipping back into his calm manner, Zenji coolly replied, "You don't need to apologize."

"I know one thing for sure, though," Tsubame continued, "You would do the same for me."

Zenji quickly added with a cool smile, "You know it; always, every time."

Seeing his smile had the same effect on Tsubame as it almost always had. Her heart began to race, she seemed to get lightheaded, and she felt her body go almost limp. Even the strength of her feelings was as strong as the first time she saw it, which actually surprised her especially after so much time together. But, one thing was definitely better than their first meeting; now she could actually act upon her feelings rather than suppress them. Doing just that, Tsubame moved her face closer to his until her lips were almost right next to his ear. As she spoke, the tone of her voice changed even further; her pitch got deeper and her delivery got smoother to the point that her words seemed to flow like chocolate, her voice becoming more seductive and enticing.

"You know after all this time, you still make me weak," Tsubame said with an alluring smile.

Zenji, of course, knew what that tone of voice meant. Even after all the time they had spent together, the hair on the back of Zenji's neck still stood up, he still felt as if he were standing under a floodlight in an instant, and _his _heart began racing. With this added with her behavior, Zenji knew where they two of them were going next, and what was coming.

Complementing on Tsubame's comment, Zenji replied, "And, after all this time, you still make _my _heart go crazy."

Tsubame again lit up with that comment; she didn't need to hear anymore. She then reached into one of her inside pockets, pulled out a small, brown candy, a little chocolate nugget small enough to be eaten in an instant, and quickly ate it. Zenji appreciated that small action; they both liked that taste, and it was another sign of where they were going next. They were done talking now.

Following that, Tsubame moved a leg over Zenji's, situating herself right in front of him; Zenji placed his hands on her waist, holding her gently; Tsubame's hands found their way behind Zenji's head. They came closer, their lips locked, and their mouths began dancing a dance they had danced many times before but were always ready and willing to. Fully engaged in what they were doing, Zenji and Tsubame slowly progressed; Zenji slowly lowered himself until he laid flat on the ground, and Tsubame closely followed, their lips never parting, their kiss never breaking. Then, before they could go further…

They both felt something close by, something they couldn't ignore. Reluctantly, they separated, but, trying to give the appearance they were still ignorant to the presence, stayed close enough to look occupied.

"You felt that too," Tsubame asked in a whisper.

Whispering back, Zenji confirmed, "Yeah. It looks like we have company."

Angered by the infringement, Tsubame growled quietly, "I _hate_ it when people interrupt."

Zenji, trying to calm her, replied, "Relax; we'll take care of them."

Quickly and subtly, the pair made preparations to fight. Tsubame pulled out a pair of black leather gloves with small weights on the knuckles, her fighting gloves, and deftly slipped them both on; Zenji extracted his new mask, and neatly affixed it to his face. Pulling a string inside her robe, Tsubame activated her defense measure, and the originally loose robe instantly clung to and tightly wrapped onto her body, now resembling a ninja dogi for combat use.

"How many of them are they," Tsubame asked, ready to battle.

"I can sense two," Zenji replied, relaying the information and forming a plan, "and, based on their hiding, they're ninja, and I don't think they want to just say hi."

Tsubame fiercely but quietly replied, "Well, they picked the wrong ninja to mess with, especially this night. Where are they?"

At that moment, a vast torrent of kunai and shuriken rained down upon the two, almost blocking out the night sky above them. Quickly, Zenji threw up his hands toward the sky, and, using his chakra, created a massive gale of wind, dispersing the metal rain coming for them, but he missed one. Sticking in the ground next to them, a kunai with a lit paper bomb landed, and ignited, releasing a large outburst of energy. Fortunately, both Tsubame and Zenji managed to dodge the blast just in time.

Just as they landed, two chains lined with razor-sharp barbs flew from out of the forest, and wrapped around Tsubame's waist and arms, drawing blood as they dug into her body. Zenji, not far away but too far to help, could only look on in horror as his and her eyes met one more time before … The next moment, after two violent tugs of the chains, and the resulting separation of one form into several and gruesome torrential flood of red liquid, Tsubame was gone.

To Be Continued…

_**A/N: **_** That was just the beginning and the second part is coming quickly. I hope you enjoyed it, I hope this was a good first fore' into the Naruto section, and I hope you come back. Please R&R, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review. **


	2. Part 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it universe, or its rules and laws_

_**A/N:**_** Part 2 the finale is here. Now, this one is all action I promise. Thanks to silverwolf-fox for the endorsement. I hope I can do the scene justice, and I hope you enjoy it. And here … we … go.**

Vagrant Ninja: No Longer roaming pt.2

Zenji froze completely in place, staring at the macabre, violent scene in the grass only feet away from him, the same place his love was standing only moments later. From out of the cover of the surrounding forest, two ninja, a male shinobi with a bald head and a kunoichi wearing an eye patch on her left eye, the culprits of the preceding crime, emerged, the red-stained chains still in their hands.

"Well, look what we have here," the kunoichi spat out, "Oh, and do you have any idea how _disgusting_you two sounded? I almost threw up listening to you two."

Getting to business, the male shinobi offered, "Okay, give us all your money … or you'll end up just like your friend over there."

Zenji didn't even hear them; he just continued to stare at the vicious sight as he slowly began to tremble. Soon, he almost lifelessly collapsed to his knees, obviously greif-stricken and in shock. The two enemy shinobi had no sympathy for him; they just wanted his money. As such, they weren't going to wait for him to collect himself.

The kunoichi, making her intentions known, deduced, "Looks like we'll just have to take your money by force."

Agreeing, the enemy shinobi added, "Alright, guy, it's your funeral."

In an instant, both of them sprung headlong towards Zenji. Still, he didn't seem to notice, but … A small smile, concealed by his mask, crept onto Zenji's face.

"You fell for it. How ridiculous," Zenji whispered to himself.

Just as they were getting close to Zenji, in a flash of indigo-and-violet, they were dispersed, the enemy shinobi knocked backwards and the kunoichi forced to leap over the attack. After the initial shock of the surprise attack, both finally looked to see what it was that appeared, the kunoichi even looking past Zenji who she was now facing, and they fell upon an unbelievable sight. Standing right behind Zenji was … Tsubame, not a scar on her, no tears in her clothes, no sign that she had sustained any damage at all.

Unable to fathom this, the enemy shinobi muttered out, "B-But you were… H-How did you…"

"It's a special liquid pack I carry in just such an emergency; almost looks like real blood, doesn't it," Tsubame replied as she popped her knuckles, "I'm an S-rank bounty hunter; you can't beat me with that cheap trick you two just pulled."

Zenji, slightly turning his head, whispered to Tsubame, "Excellent timing as usual. Oh, and the comment at the end was a nice touch."

Tsubame, happy her impromptu plan worked and that Zenji understood with just one look, whispered back, "Thank you. You weren't bad yourself. You caught on with my plan so quickly, and your acting was spot on."

"You're too kind," Zenji whispered back to her.

Getting back to business, the kunoichi interjected, "You know something, I'm kind of glad you survived. We wouldn't want this to be too easy, would we?"

Tsubame, shedding a smile, shot back, "Funny; I was about to say the same thing to you. But, of course, I have to warn you first. If you just leave now, we'll look the other way, and pretend this never happened; just walk away, and you won't get hurt.

Quickly reacting to Tsubame's confidence, the enemy shinobi shot back as he shot up to his feet, "You must be crazy. The only ones getting hurt are you if you don't cough up your money."

"So be it," Zenji calmly responded before whispering to Tsubame, "Don't beat him too severely."

Tsubame only whispered back with a chuckle, "No promises."

Almost immediately, the kunoichi sprung at Zenji, ready to attack, but, with a thrust of his arm and another chakra-enhanced gust of wind, Zenji blew her all the way back into the forest. Pressing the advantage, Zenji dashed into the forest after her.

--

Ready to go, the enemy shinobi said, "You're pretty strong … against one. But let's see how you do against 12. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a cross of the fingers and a large burst of smoke, 12 exact replicas of the shinobi appeared all poised for attack. Tsubame, however, didn't flinch; she didn't even blink.

"I see you know how to stockpile chakra, but …" she calmly said as a slight smirk crossed her face, "there are still not enough of you."

Not flinching either, the enemy shinobi commanded, "We'll see. Attack!"

At once, all 12 clones shot forward at Tsubame, but again she didn't flinch; in fact, she didn't move until the first clone reached, and with one straight shot from her fist, turned the clone to smoke. Without loss of motion, she chopped the next into dust. She next swung that arm to her right, backhanding the next clone into submsission. One by one, Tsubame defeated each clone in rapid succession and with single shots. More impressively (and frighteningly to the enemy shinobi), Tsubame didn't shift her weight or feet at all; she remained stationed in her position, her arms the only parts of her moving.

"Incredible," the enemy shinobi exclaimed in disbelief, "You just swatted my clones away like they were flies."

"I told you there weren't enough of you," Tsubame confidently reiterated before explaining, "I'm a master of the 'Shun Kiru' fighting art, the multi-target taijutsu. 12 enemies at once is nothing."

Desperate and not sure how to react, the enemy shinobi pulled out a kunai as he expressed, "So you say, but let's see if you can stand up to the real thing!"

With that, he charged full speed at Tsubame, kunai drawn and ready. Once more, Tsubame didn't flinch and she even shed a smile at his straightforward attack. With intent to kill, the enemy shinobi thrust his dagger forward, but he was clearly outmatched. Again, only moving her arms, Tsubame forced the attack away while simultaneously slamming the shinobi right in his heart with a vicious palm thrust, stopping his cold as the kunai went flying from his hand. With one more palm thrust to the chest, Tsubame pushed him far backwards and firmly put the shinobi flat on his back.

"She's … is too strong," he thought to himself in pain.

Not satisfied yet and still fuming, Tsubame popped her knuckles once more as she angrily approached the shinobi.

"You know, I put a lot of effort into tonight, which was supposed to be just a small break from ninja work." Tsubame fumed, "It was just going to be a nice little getaway, an opportunity to just be alone with the man I love for just one night. But you two just had to _ruin_ it … and for what!? Some money!? We're roaming ninja; our only money went to food and supplies. Not to mention, our last job didn't exactly as planned. All that aside, it's all okay now, because now … I'm just gonna take it out of you're a--!"

Having said her piece and now standing in front of her opponent, Tsubame firmly grasped him by the throat, causing his eyes to shoot wide open in horror, and quickly lifted him up off the ground…

--

Meanwhile, as that was occurring, Zenji carefully maneuvered through the trees and brush, looking for his enemy. Suddenly, a kunai and a shuriken came flying at him … from two complete different directions. Seeing them in time, he was able to deflect the projectiles with his chakra-produced wind, but he was still confused by the trajectory that both weapons came at him. Just as he was trying to figure out how one person could have thrown both of them, two more kunai and two more shuriken came flying through the air towards him, again all four coming from vastly different directions. Again, Zenji deflected the attacks, planting the ninja tools in the nearby trees surrounding him. As he took another cursory look around himself, he noticed the almost impossibly-thin strings connected to several of the weapons.

"Wires. I should have guessed." Zenji said to himself, "Alright, time to get serious."

Quickly, Zenji moved and joined his hands in a sequence of three different formations: the Dragon, the Dog, the Bird. And he waited, listening, looking, feeling for his opponent. A disturbing, chilling silence wrapped around and surrounded him; not even creatures of the forest were making noise as if they too were stopping and waiting. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the barely noticeable trace of movement, not the real thing but a mere reflection in one of the nearby deflected ninja tools. Once he caught the sight, Zenji locked his mind on it, and used it to almost heighten his already alert senses, focusing on the area the vision came from. Quickly, he deduced the direction and position of his target.

"Now, I have you," he silently whispered.

Spinning in that direction, Zenji turned to the kunoichi's position and unleashed toward her a huge blast of razor-sharp air, a Wind Scythe Jutsu. The kunoichi stared on in horror as the barreling gust of wind that cut and sliced everything in its path came for her secluded spot. Zenji watched with anticipation as his attack traveled toward and through where he located his enemy. Finally, after a brief moment, he noticed a rather large mass, its true identity hidden under the darkness of nightfall, plummet and hit the ground with a sickening thump. Quickly, Zenji approached the spot of impact, and, to his disappointment, found a pile of sliced wood erratically strewn about the forest floor.

"A substitution," he observed, "Looks like I missed…"

As he was saying that, he recognized the small stain of blood on the outside of the wood. He looking harder and then noticed the trail of blood leading away from the pile and into a nearby hole in the ground.

"Or maybe not," Zenji conceded before moving on, "Still, I have no time for this; I'll just have to force her out."

Crouching to the ground, Zenji prepared himself once more, performed another sequence of hand signs: the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Ram, and the Snake. With the progression complete and his chakra in order, Zenji slammed both his hands on the ground, and activated the Jutsu.

"Earth Style: Rock Mine Jutsu," Zenji silently spoke, as if announcing the technique.

Reacting immediately, the earth beneath him began to tremble violently, Zenji unmoving. Then, after several moments of quaking, the earth underneath him experienced a massive upheaval, a result of several underground explosions caused the Jutsu. Slowly, Zenji rose to his feet as the ground calmed once again, and almost immediately he sensed the kunoichi's presence ad knew that his attack had landed.

Searching once again, Zenji observed, "I think I got her that time. She's definitely slower now."

Not wasting time, Zenji performed three more hand seals: the Dog, the Pig, and an entirely unique one, and once again he waited, mentally scanning the area for any trace of his adversary and again being surrounded by silence. Suddenly, a rustling rang out of the silence, and Zenji quickly spun in its direction, aiming his one-handed seal in that area and at the kunoichi.

"You're finished," Zenji proclaimed before getting an unpleasant surprise, "… Gahhhh!"

--

Instantly, Tsubame heard it; that sound came from Zenji. She immediately stopped pounding on her opponent, and listened out.

"…Zenji," she worriedly whispered to herself as she dropped her pummeled adversary.

Without haste or a second thought, Tsubame diverted her attention, and sprinted into the forest after Zenji.

--

Somehow, the enemy kunoichi had done it; she had caught Zenji off guard. Zenji could only stare at the razor chain twisted around his arm, clutching and digging into his arm and drawing his blood. From out of the shadows, the kunoichi, a bleeding gash on her hip and her hand over another wound in her side, emerged, the end of the chain firmly in hand.

"No, you're finished," the opposing kunoichi angrily exclaimed, "Now … I'm going to rip your arm right off, and you'll never be able to use jutsu again!"

"I doubt that," Zenji coolly replied with a slight chuckle, "Look at my hand sign."

Surprised and baffled by Zenji calm demeanor, the kunoichi let her eyes slowly trickle down from her hand and along the chain before landing them on Zenji's captured arm. It was true; he was still ready to attack. He had maintained the hand sign the whole time, but one thing was off: the hand sign was no one she was familiar with or had even seen before. Was it real? Or did he make it up? She couldn't tell.

"What … is that," the opposing kunoichi cautiously asked.

Zenji then explained, "It's for my own special Jutsu. I can turn the air in your lungs into razor-sharp nails; you'll die instantly when they rip the inside of your chest to ribbons. So which do you want more: my arm … or your life?"

No matter how much she studied him, the enemy kunoichi couldn't tell if he was lying or not. She didn't want to fall for some trick, but she definitely didn't want to guess wrong if he was telling the truth. Unsure of what to do, she hesitated, but she definitely didn't expect happened next.

Right behind Zenji, a huge column of water shaped like a snake rose from the ground, and aimed right at the enemy kunoichi. She knew this Jutsu: the 'Water Style: Snake's Mouth Jutsu'; the real problem was she didn't have to energy or knowledge to stop it. The enemy kunoichi could only watch in horror as the water snake crashed right on top of her, the impact causing her to release the razor chain, and turned into a stream, starting to carry her away. Thinking quickly, Zenji combined the water jutsu with his own wind style, causing the water to freeze and bonding the enemy to a tree. Now triumphant, Zenji looked over his shoulders … to see Tsubame finally releasing the hand seal; she had just made a major save for Zenji with her timely jutsu.

"Thanks, Tsubame," Zenji said, "I really needed that."

A smile on her face, Tsubame affectionately replied, "No problem; anytime, baby."

Her task finished, Tsubame turned her attention back to her own enemy, and ran back to her own battlefield. Zenji, having finished his fight, started to join her, but he quickly realized something; he couldn't just leave the enemy kunoichi frozen in ice. So, as he slowly removed the chain embedded in his arm and discarded it, he effortlessly climbed onto the frozen stream and began walking along it until he reached his frozen adversary, her head the only thing above the ice.

"Well, what are you waiting for," the enemy kunoichi contemptuously spat at him, "You won; you get to kill me. So, go ahead! Get on with it!"

Zenji, unfazed by it, simply crouched to her eye level, and replied with subtle intensity, "You disrupted a peaceful evening for the woman I love and I. You attacked us unprovoked. You then tried to kill us both, all for a little bit of money. For this, I could kill you, and probably no one would blame either, but … you would die a thief, a predator of human souls, a sad excuse for a human being, and no one deserves to die that way; everyone should have an honorable end. So, no, I'm not going to kill you; you're not worth Death's time. Take it from someone who's stared Death in the face, and try to be worth it next time."

The enemy kunoichi was thunderstruck by Zenji's comments. They were almost unheard of and completely strange, but she somehow understood him. Having said his piece, Zenji slowly began to walk along the stream in the other direction, but there was one last question on the enemy kunoichi's mind that she needed to have answered.

"Hey," the enemy kunoichi called out, causing Zenji to stop and listen, before asking, "Can you really turn in a person's lungs as sharp as nails?"

Zenji replied with a slight chuckle as he turned to face her, "Actually … I haven't gotten the Jutsu to work quite right just yet. But, it sounded cool, and I_ really_ need my arm."

With that, Zenji used his wind style once more, and rapidly defrost the large column of ice, returning it to its liquid phase and allowing the enemy kunoichi to fall to the ground. He then quickly headed after Tsubame to aid her in her fight.

--

Tsubame quickly arrived back at the field, expecting to find her opponent, but the enemy shinobi was nowhere to be found. Cautiously, Tsubame walked further into the clearing, not trusting the emptiness and keeping her senses alert. Almost as soon as she ventured into the clearing, a heavy fog slowly rolled into the area, blanketing the whole field in a thick, white cover. Instantly, Tsubame froze. She expected something like this; it was an obvious trap. Stopping to get her bearings and prepare for an attack, Tsubame did everything she could to heighten her senses, and readied her body to retaliate at the first sign of attack. Nevertheless, she was still blinded by the dense fog surrounding her.

"Now, I got you," the enemy shinobi thought to himself as he hid afar off and prepare his attack, "Water Style: Liquid Senbon!"

Tsubame then observed mentally as it happened, "The fog is clearing up."

What she didn't see was why the fog was lightening. Above her head, the fog that was disappearing was actually rising and pressing together to form a mass of water needles, all aimed at her. After the process was complete, the hail of water needles converged upon her all at once. Still blinded by the fog, Tsubame didn't have clue until…

"Tsubame, look out … Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Immediately, Tsubame shot her gaze upward at the massive attack coming at her. Before they could get any closer, however, a barrage of small fireballs flew through the air, and slammed into the liquid senbon. The attacks offset each other, and the needles burst back into water, covering the field and Tsubame's face with a fine, gentle mist. A large smile crossed her face when she realized whose voice alerted her; Zenji had pretty good timing as well.

"No," the enemy shinobi angrily thought to himself before he took out his razor chain, "I'll still destroy you."

Emerging from his hiding spot, the enemy shinobi charged headlong at Tsubame, his razor chain ready to strike. Tsubame, however, was well aware of his presence; she could hear his footsteps in the small puddles that the mist had made. Preparing to strike back, Tsubame executed three quick hand seals: the Horse, the Ram, and the Bird, and she listened intently until the enemy shinobi's footsteps became louder and louder as he came closer and closer. Then, when he got close enough …

"Lightning Style: Lightning Lance," Tsubame announced her attack as she executed it.

The enemy shinobi flew backwards, the razor chain flying out of his hand, sparks flying off of him after he was hit by Tsubame's electrically-charged kick to his chest. Hearing the impact, Zenji, who had stationed himself at the edge of the clearing that lead back to the kunoichi, instantly used another gust of chakra-enhanced wind to blow the mist away, returning visibility to the small field. Now able to see again and knowing what she wanted to do next, Tsubame looked back at Zenji, smiling of course.

"Baby," Tsubame began to ask, "Could you help me out with this next attack?"

Knowing exactly what she meant, Zenji merely replied, "You don't even have to ask."

Performing his part of the attack, Zenji executed his sequence of hand seals, the Dog, the Rat, the Ox, and the Snake, and activated the 'Earth Style: Earth Tidal Wave'. Quickly travelling forward, the earth began to rock and fiercely undulates, just as the name indicated like the waves in water. Setting up for her part of the attack as the enemy shinobi slowly got to his feet, Tsubame jumped onto the wave and began riding it on top of it as she performed her own sequence of hand signs, the Tiger, the Pig, and the Bird, and began gathering electricity into her waiting fist. Then, as the wave culminated into its highest part, Tsubame leaped from the waves' apex and began to fall towards her opponent, aiming her attack right at the enemy shinobi.

Announcing the Jutsu, Tsubame shouted, "Lightning Style: Thunder Saber!"

With a mighty crash, Tsubame connected with her enhanced punch, driving herself and the enemy shinobi deep into the ground and forming a large hole in the clearing. After only a moment, Tsubame emerged from the hole she had made unscathed, and quickly began brushing dirt off of herself.

"Is he," Zenji asked of the enemy shinobi.

Tsubame simply replied, "No. He's definitely down for the count, but I avoided his vitals. He'll live."

At that moment, Zenji sensed something was wrong: he felt the ground underneath Tsubame and himself being disturbed, and it was coming from the direction of where the enemy shinobi had ended up. He then began listening closely, and heard a subtle, barely audible hissing sound coming from inside the hole. Almost instantly, he knew what that sound was, and went sprinting towards Tsubame.

Alerting her to the danger, Zenji swiftly called out as he got nearer, "Paper Bomb!"

--

KABOOOM!! Back at the cave, Rakugo was shaken awake by an explosion in the forest. Springing to his feet, he ran to the cave entrance, trying to get an idea of what happened, and saw the cloud of smoke and dust billowing from inside the woods. He easily recognized the explosion as one of a paper bomb, but the spot seemed odd to him. Then, a scary thought crossed his mind as he continued to stare at the spot of the outburst: Wasn't that where Zenji was headed? Acting with urgency, Rakugo took off into the forest towards the blast point.

"They _must_ be in a fight," Rakugo thought to himself as he deftly leaped across the tree limbs, "I hope I'm not too late."

--

The dust finally settled in the clearing after a moment; what was once a lush field full of life was now barren and burnt patch. Slowly, Tsubame opened her eyes, her ears still ringing, and quickly realized she was facing in the opposite direction that she was before. Then, she noticed the arms firmly wrapped around her. Zenji sighed a small breath of relief as he held Tsubame, and they both leaned against the wall of solid rock and earth. Fortunately, Zenji has managed to not only get himself between Tsubame and the explosion, but he was also able to get up a 'Terra Shield' to block the impact.

After waiting a moment in anticipation of another possible attack, Zenji released Tsubame as the wall of rock crumbled behind them, and they both looked around at what had become of the once-prospering forest clearing they were just in. At that moment, Zenji realized just what hat paper bomb meant, turning his attention back to the point of detonation, and Tsubame, noticing the look in his eyes, also realized what the paper bomb had done. Slowly, they both approached the impromptu burial site of their former adversary. For them, it meant two different things: to Tsubame, it was the extinguishing of life; to Zenji, it was the disgraceful passing of another. But, it still held one truth for both: someone, a fellow ninja was dead.

"It's a cruel end," Zenji reflected as they stopped at the much-bigger hole, "but, a thief's life beckons you, Death."

Voicing her sentiments, Tsubame added, "Another life has been lost too soon. Though we may not, surely someone mourns this passing."

As they would do for a recently fallen person, Tsubame and Zenji knelt next to the burial site, and bowed their heads. Then, as they closed their eyes, they began to pray, showing respect for a life lost and giving a proper send-off for the recently departed. Suddenly, just as they were finishing, both were wrapped in a several thick cords, binding their arms and bodies the point where they couldn't even move.

Then, from out of the forest, a third enemy ninja emerged, the ends of the cords firmly in his hand.

Tsubame, as she struggled to find a single weak spot in the binding, nervously asked as she and Zenji looked back at their captor, "Who … who are you?"

Wearing a ninja face mask over his mouth and having wild, black hair, the third enemy shinobi replied with confidence, "My name's Isamu, and I would personally like to thank the two of you for making you capture so easy. Those were _my_ comrades you just defeated."

Zenji, hoping this to just be a misunderstanding, calmly explained, "We apologize, but we were merely defending ourselves. Your teammates attacked us first."

"I know; I ordered them to do so," Isamu replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "We know ninja like you have a lot of money."

Zenji, ever calm, plainly stated, "Actually, we're just roaming ninja. We have no source of income, so we don't have any money."

Not sounding deterred at all, Isamu stated with an air of malicious intent, "Vagrant or not, I just lost a valuable ally, and, although I didn't care for him, one of you will still have to pay … in blood. Decide amongst yourselves which one that will be."

Was this really it, both Zenji and Tsubame thought. As they faced the seemingly inevitable fate of what was coming next, they both looked at each other for could have been the last time. Instantly, they both knew that the other had no idea what to do, and that everything wasn't going to be okay this time. Although they tried not, they couldn't help but reflect on their times together, drawing smiles from them both. Finally, before they faced what was next, they gave each other one more look, and seemed to come to an understood decision.

"Take me," they both shouted in unison, much to each other's surprise if only for a moment.

Amused by this mutual show of sacrifice, Isamu let out an uproarious mocking laugh and sarcastically said, "Aw, how sickeningly touching! But far be from me to break up love in the shinobi world," before switching to a more sinister tone as he pulled out two kunai, "I'll just have to kill you both. Now, there's just one question: what will be the cause of death?"

"That depends…"

Isamu froze instantly as he felt the serrated edge of a sword against the side of his neck. Rakugo arrived to the spot just in time to catch the scene. Upon discovering the danger his teammates were in, he quickly intervened, and had successfully taken Isamu by surprise.

"Do you want to be skinned, beheaded, or impaled," Rakugo finished his threat.

"Another one of you, huh," Isamu observed while trying to not sound as surprised as he was, "I should have guessed."

Getting right to the point, Rakugo commanded in a subtle assertive tone, "Let them go now or your head becomes a soccer ball."

Flipping the kunai in his hand without Rakugo noticing, Isamu calmly replied, "Actually, neither is really good for me. So why don't I just … make you first!"

With that, Isamu spun around, and, while in motion, swung the two kunai at Rakugo's head. With one swift maneuver, Rakugo cleanly sliced both ninja knives in half, and both ninja had to jump back. A brief standoff ensued. Neither Isamu nor Rakugo took their eyes off each other; neither gave an inch. Quickly, Isamu executed all twelve hand signs, and summoned a group of large rocks to rise from beneath the ground.

"Earth Style: Rock Barrage," Isamu announced as the boulders went flying towards Rakugo.

Charging forward, Rakugo headed right for Isamu, slicing the rocks into tiny bits with effortless slashes and strokes of his blade. Then, as the last boulder separated and Rakugo got close enough, a brief chuckle escaped Isamu's body; Rakugo had fallen for it. Just as Rakugo was a step away, he stepped on the second jutsu lying in wait, a trap summoned by the second set of six hand signs. Before he could advance any further, Rakugo was fiercely propelled backwards by a small geyser of water underneath him, sending him flying until he slammed back-first into a tree and slumped almost lifelessly to the ground.

Feeling he had won, Isamu slowly began to approach, hoping to finish off his opponent. But, suddenly, as Isamu got closer, Rakugo did something completely unexpected: he actually started chuckling to himself.

Asking more to mock that to find out, Isamu inquired, "What are you laughing at?"

Rakugo, knowing he'd just messed up but unable to resist answering truthfully, replied, "I'm thinking about getting back to my girlfriend back home, and how she'll laugh when I tell her about this."

Thinking him delusional, Isamu then asked in slight offense at Rakugo's insinuation, "Oh really? And just what makes you'll ever see her again?"

Rakugo tried his best to hold the answer in, but he just couldn't and it burst from his mouth, "I was never in danger. Darn; you just had to ask the question, and I wanted to keep up the illusion a little longer."

"Illusion," Isamu asked, completely confused.

Rakugo simply instructed, "Yes. Just take a look in my eyes, and then look around.

Not sure what to make of it all, Isamu simply followed the instruction, and looked around. To his horror, Rakugo's blade was again against his neck, the ground was undisturbed and on top of that, Tsubame and Zenji were now free. It was if the fight never took place. Completely thunderstruck by this, Isamu could barely form his thoughts, let alone words.

"What … did … you…" Isamu forced out in confusion and fear.

"It's my special genjutsu." Rakugo explained, "It's activated by voice , not hand sign; I had you the moment I stepped behind you. Everything you've seen to this point was just a daydream. In fact, I'm still controlling you."

"Impossible," Isamu spoke in an amazed tone.

"Oh, is it," Rakugo went on deciding to finish the encounter, "It I wasn't controlling you, would you do this to yourself?"

Slowly, Isamu took out a kunai from his pouch, but there was one glaring problem: he wasn't the one doing it; his body was moving independent of his will. Ever slowly, he began to raise the kunai against himself, the blade inching closer and closer to his heart. Isamu desperately struggled to fight it, to regain some control, but it was to no avail. He could only watch as he plunged the blade into his own heart. The damage done, Isamu listlessly collapsed to the ground.

…

"How long you gonna let him think he actually stabbed himself," Zenji asked.

Explaining, Zenji plainly replied, "It'll wear off when his chakra is spend and he passes out; he'll a bit of a hangover when he wakes up. Still, I didn't expect his to react like that. I mean, I told him he was just dreaming."

At that moment, Rakugo noticed the enemy kunoichi hiding and watching in the nearby woods, and figuring out her relation to Isamu, motioned with his word for her to come forward.

"Please, take your boss, and tend him, would you," he instructed her.

Slowly, like a scolded dog, the enemy kunoichi cautiously approached her fallen leader, and lifted him onto her shoulders. Still, before they went anywhere, she hesitated; part of her couldn't believe they were letting her go. Just as she was hesitating too long, all three gave her a gesture as if to say 'what are you waiting for!?' Getting the hint, the enemy kunoichi with an unconscious Isamu 'body flickered' away from the area.

Glad to be past the event, Tsubame exclaimed as she popped her neck, "Well, that was fun."

"Yeah, that was definitely enough excitement for one night," Zenji added, "Thanks for the save, Rakugo."

"Don't mention it," Rakugo cheerfully replied before moving on, "Well, we should probably get some sleep; we have to travel in the morning."

Zenji then interjected, "Actually, it's almost morning now. Plus, I doubt I'll be able to get to sleep."

Tsubame, agreeing with her partner, suggested, "Me neither. Is there any way … we can start travelling now?"

Rakugo paused for a moment, thinking about the request, before responding, "Well, I've been sleeping all day, so, if you two are up to it, I say sure… You know I never thought I'd actually say this to you guys, but … let's go home."

With that, Rakugo, Zenji, and Tsubame began a journey to end a journey; they were heading to a place they hadn't been in a very long time, too long if you asked them. They were headed _home_, to their new home: Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves. They were going to a place where they would not be treated as outcasts or pariahs, where they would stay, where they wouldn't have to wonder where their next meal would come from or whether they would even make it through the night. The three of them were vagrants no more… and they couldn't run home fast enough.

Unable to fit her rapture and excitement in her body, Tsubame suddenly had a thought, and quickly asked, "Hey, guys, where are we going to go first when we get to the Leaf Village?"

There was a brief moment of silence between the three as contemplated the inquiry until…

"Ichiraku Ramen," all three of them said in unison.

The End

_**A/N: **_**Okay, that was my first posted Naruto fiction. I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for staying with me, and, if you liked it, please tell your friends about me as I have a whole series in the works right now. Thanks again, and, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review. **


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